The sack or resignation of the Service Chiefs few days ago did not come to many Nigerians as a surprise. This is because, three years down the line, the Nigerian publics and all critical stakeholders, including the Upper and Lower Legislative Chambers at one time or the other passed vote of no confidence in the Service Chiefs and called for their sack by President Muhammadu Buhari owing to increasing insecurity all over the country. It is also on record too that, the President on two occasions expressed disgust over the performance of the Service Chiefs having told them that their efforts were not good enough to stem the tide of destruction, occasioned by the onslaught of Boko Haram and other lawless groups going about and causing deep injuries and pains against hapless Nigerians.
During the tenure of the out gone Service Chiefs, almost six years their appointments lasted, the country went through harrowing experiences, ranging from; gruesome murder of innocent and defenseless citizens, kidnapping of women and children, raping of young adolescents, the ravaging of Fulani herdsmen across the length and breadth of the country and worst still, the Boko Haram insurgents which is still a nightmare to the country till date. Their period may earn the reputation in history as a time the country witnessed the most unprecedented and the highest bloodletting ever perpetrated since 1999 democracy was enthroned. Now that they have finally bowed out amidst hue and cry from every quarter in the country, we wish them well in their future undertakings.
The fall of a yellow leaf they say is a warning to the green ones. We want to believe that the appointments of the current Service Chiefs namely: General Irabor (Chief of Defence Staff), General Attahiru (Chief of Army Staff), AVM Amao (Chief of Air Staff), Admiral Gambo (Chief of Naval Staff), were purely based on merit, devoid of what trailed the former appointments that was based on ethnic and religious considerations. The daunting challenge of nation building, given the security challenge bedeviling the country at present, with every sense of responsibility calls for surgical operations of security apparatus in the country if at all, Nigeria is ready to attain enviable height among the comity of nations. From all indications, we want to believe that the new Service Chiefs, having grown from the system, may have learnt from the pitfalls of their predecessors that pitched them against the generality of Nigerians who at various times called for their sack.
Given that eminent Nigerians have also warned consistently that the country is sliding to a dangerous bend, indeed demands that the new Service Chiefs should be focused in their professional calling. What Nigerians are simply asking for are inspiring leaders that are detribalized and are ready to defend the country without recourse to ethnicity or nationality. Unfortunately, people are still being killed, kidnapped every day, herders and bandits are still having a field day, the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists are still in serious contention with the military in the North- East and North West, while many people, regrettably are still held in captivity across the country.
All these development unfortunately have made life almost meaningless especially in the areas where these evil are perpetrated daily. In the new dawn, the Nigerian people expect the new Service Chiefs to make life safer and secure in the country. Dedication to duty and loyalty to the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria can only be measured by the quantum of peace and security in the land, being enjoyed by the common man in the street of Nigeria and not loyalty to individual whom the society also offered the platform to become what he/she is. We challenge the new Service Chiefs to take the battle to the camp of the enemies and for once, free Nigerians from this internal insecurity slavery the country has found herself, over twelve years and still counting
